Archives for September 2010

This week on September 30th, 2010, Michaëlle Jean’s term as Governor General of Canada comes to a close. During her five year term, Jean has been tireless in both performing her official tasks and re-defining the role of her office, and with it, re-defining Canada. She has been renowned at home and on the international stage as a woman of strength, intellect, and grace. During her time as Governor General, Jean has renewed, maintained, and advanced the greatest ideals that Canada represents. During a Remembrance Day visit spent with our troops in Afghanistan, Jean made a concerted and deliberate effort to meet with women leaders in the various communities and areas where our soldiers are working.

Recently, Jean had the honour of being the first Canadian to welcome President Barack Obama on his first official visit to Canada, a moment which touched many with its symbolism of progress and hope.

Like many of Canada’s great citizens and office holders, Michaëlle Jean was not born in Canada, but immigrated to Canada at the age of nine as a refugee from Haiti. Fleeing from the threats visited upon her and her family from the Duvalier regime, her family came to Canada and settled in Thetford Mines, Quebec. She studied language and launched her academic studies at the Université de Montreal. She would go on to study in Florence, Perugia, and Milan.

During her studies, Jean worked at a shelter for abused women and assisted new immigrants as they came and settled in Canada. In 1988 she began to work at Radio Canada as a filmmaker and then television anchor. Soon, she was approached by the English language CBC to take on similar responsibilities.

Jean’s accomplishments as a student of language, as a journalist, and a citizen were all cited in her nomination for Governor General when first announced by Prime Minister Paul Martin in 2005. Her installation speech focused on Canadian freedom, and on renewing our understandings of the diverse contributions to Canadian civilization. The motto in her official coat of arms; “Briser Les Solitudes” or “Breaking down solitudes”, means to end the divisions between English and French Canada, and also to acknowledge the living legacy of Canadians who come from every other part of the world.

When the earthquake struck central Haiti this past January, all of Canada was moved by Jean’s stoic and graceful response. When her term as Governor General comes to a close, she will be returning to her native Haiti in the position of Special Envoy to Haiti with the United Nations.

It may take some time to fully measure and understand the impact of Michaëlle Jean’s legacy as Governor General of Canada. At this point, we can only imagine how much she will be able to accomplish, but we can be sure that however she devotes her time and attention, she will continue to make Canadians proud.

Manitoba’s very successful Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) is proof that Manitoba is a destination of choice for those considering immigration to Canada.

Here we take an in-depth look at the General stream, one of several streams under the Manitoba Provincial Nomination Program each having its own eligibility requirements.

First, an eligible candidate is required to meet just one of the following criteria:

• previous full-time work experience in Manitoba (six months minimum)
• completed at least one academic year of education in Manitoba (not including language training programs)
• a close relative in Manitoba who has signed an affidavit of support
• two friends or distant relatives in Manitoba who have each signed an affidavit of support*

Manitoba has established itself as a leader among Canadian provinces with its very successful Provincial Nomination Program.

Here are three new ways that Manitoba proves it is dedicated to supporting provincial nominees by facilitating employment and settlement.

1) Manitoba strengthens its relationship with the Philippines by extending an existing partnership that connects Filipino workers with employment opportunities in Manitoba.

Earlier this month, the province of Manitoba signed an agreement with the Philippines Department of Labour and Employment to extend an existing partnership that connects Filipino workers with job opportunities in Manitoba. This partnership helps prepare Filipino workers for a new life in Manitoba and also makes the immigration process more efficient.

Over the past two and a half years, applications have been processed more quickly and training opportunities are provided in the Philippines so workers meet the requirements and standards for entry into the Manitoba workforce.

The success of this partnership is evident: 122 registered nurses from the Philippines were recruited by health authorities in Manitoba and are currently working and living in their new communities, and 97 have already applied and been accepted under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program to become Canadian permanent residents. In the near future, an equal amount of success is expected with similar recruitment efforts through this partnership.

In 2009, Manitoba’s ever-growing Filipino population represented 32 per cent of the province’s total immigration.

2) Manitoba announces new program to provide pre-arrival settlement services for provincial nominees.

Manitoba is a leader in Canada for attracting provincial nominees. Now the province is getting ready to start a new pre-arrival services program for those provincial nominees destined for Manitoba.

It is important for immigrants to be informed and prepared before they land in Canada so that they can achieve their career goals.

First, the program will provide Manitoba nominees in China and the Philippines with what they need to know about settlement in Manitoba and how to prepare for the job market in Manitoba. For example, the program will assist immigrants in creating a career plan based specifically on the Manitoba labour market and the procedures necessary to have qualifications recognized.

The program will later be adapted for provincial nominees destined to other provinces as well as for nominees in countries other than the Philippines and China.

3) Manitoba makes permanent resident visas more accessible for international students who wish to stay in the province after graduation.

Starting in 2011, international graduates from any Manitoba post-secondary educational program of at least two academic years will be able to apply immediately to the Provincial Nominee Program without a job offer. This change to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program will make it faster and easier for international students to apply for a Canadian Immigration (permanent resident) visa to stay and work in the province after graduation.

International students who apply for fast-track immigration will have access to an employment-readiness program upon graduation. The program is designed to provide assistance with job readiness, career coaching and job-matching services.

Canadian employers see the hiring outlook as positive for the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the latest results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, the most extensive employment survey in the world. Before the end of 2010 21% of Canadian employers intend to hire more staff. The average outlook for all employers across all regions in Canada is approximately +15%, a 10 point increase from last year at this time. About 299,000 job positions have been created in Canada since January 2010, according to Statistics Canada. >>Read more….

Employment in Canada gained 36,000 jobs during the month of August. There were increases in the educational services, professional, scientific and technical services, and natural resources sectors. The job report for August suggests the economy has recovered all the jobs lost during the 2008-09 recession at a faster pace than any previous Canadian economic recovery. >>Read more…

Canadians value the country’s humanitarian tradition of offering protection to the displaced and persecuted. Recently, community groups in Canada were being encouraged to consider sponsoring refugees to come to Canada through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. To date, this program has received more than 200,000 refugees from all over the world. >>Read more…

The arrival by sea last month of 492 Tamil asylum seekers continues to serve as a lightning rod for anti-immigration sentiment in Canada. For starters, you have a segment of the population that is fearful. They suspect it is only a matter of time before many more boatloads of refugee claimants land on our shores and they feel powerless to prevent the onslaught they foresee. These Canadians have been conditioned to expect the worst-case scenario even though the facts suggest otherwise.